


Something Wicked this Way Comes

by faithinthepoor



Series: Once Upon a Time [20]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-01
Updated: 2013-02-01
Packaged: 2017-11-27 19:11:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/665458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithinthepoor/pseuds/faithinthepoor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during Child of the Moon</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Wicked this Way Comes

**Author's Note:**

> In my series this follows my [Fairytale Drabbles](http://archiveofourown.org/works/618763), [Mirror Mirror](http://archiveofourown.org/works/618771), [This Provincial Life](http://archiveofourown.org/works/618775), [Viviane or Nimue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/618809), [Dreams and Wishes](http://archiveofourown.org/works/618851), [All the Better To….](http://archiveofourown.org/works/619484), [Magic Keys](http://archiveofourown.org/works/619497), [Curiouser and Curiouser](http://archiveofourown.org/works/619514), [Snow Blind](http://archiveofourown.org/works/620280), [Spinning Straw](http://archiveofourown.org/works/620288), [Wooden Hearts](http://archiveofourown.org/works/621128), [Poisoned](http://archiveofourown.org/works/622526), [True Love and Other Curses](http://archiveofourown.org/works/625038), [Spellbound](http://archiveofourown.org/works/628806), [Over the Rainbow](http://archiveofourown.org/works/630076), [Facades](http://archiveofourown.org/works/632227), [Lost Girls](http://archiveofourown.org/works/636939), [Monstrosities](http://archiveofourown.org/works/640162) and [Love and Lies](http://archiveofourown.org/works/652912)

She’s well aware of what has been going on in town. She’s been ostracized, not blinded. To be honest it was nice to have the townsfolk wanting someone else’s blood for a change but she did wish that her replacement had been someone other than Red. If there was a way for her to help the wolf girl she’d have tried but her help is not something that would have been appreciated. Aligning herself with Red would not have been in Red’s interest. The town would simply have seen two monsters instead of one. The best thing, the only thing, she could do for Red was to stay away. 

Inaction doesn’t sit well with her but it does keep her safe. She couldn’t help Red and interfering may have reminded people that the last time someone was framed for murder in this town she was involved. Not everyone knows that but Charming certainly does and it would not at all be out of the realm of possibility for him to have turned the crowd on her in order to save Red. 

Charming might be invested in the truth so far as it would exonerate Red but Regina doubts that he sees the truth as such a noble concept when it comes to her. She knows that he would gladly take any opportunity to sacrifice her. He believes she needs to pay for her past crimes and for his separation from his family. He would never understand that she is separated from her family too. Emma is as lost to her as she is to her father and Henry has defected over to the Charming camp. She is actually far more alone than the false prince.

She doesn’t wish Red ill, Red is one of the few people she doesn’t hate, but Red’s predicament did come with a small upside for Regina. Charming’s crusade to prove Red’s innocence was time consuming and it gave Regina access to Henry. It wasn’t much, and it didn’t change the fact that she is not Henry’s first choice, but to her it was more precious than gold.

Discovering Henry’s burn was heartbreaking. She doesn’t want him to hurt. She has only ever wanted good thing for him. Not only did Henry’s wound pain her, it also shed a horrible light on her sleeping curse. Although she wouldn’t actually care about the dark world she cursed people to if Henry hadn’t have been sent there. The suffering of others is not something that bothers her but Henry’s suffering does. At least he only went there by accident. If things had have gone to plan she would have willingly sent Emma to that place and she may never forgive herself for that. She wanted to remove Emma from the equation and she wanted to protect the curse but the whole point of Emma’s eternal slumber was that is meant to be the solution that didn’t hurt Emma. 

She feels no guilt for placing Snow under the curse, Snow deserved that and much worse, but it does anger her that her curse is tainted now. The sleeping curse touched three people she loved – she made it for Emma, she used Daniel’s ring and she nearly lost her son. Knowing this makes her a little happier about agreeing to try not to use magic. She pretends that she is doing it for Henry but magic never has and never will be her friend.

Learning the truth about the sleeping curse also ruined something else that had become precious to her. She had thought she was communicating with Emma in her dreams but Henry’s affliction has forced her to realise that it wasn’t real. She had believed that she had a conduit to Emma, that the magic that caused the hat to spin had forged a permanent connection but it turns out that her dreams are nothing more than a mundane attempt at wish fulfilment. For all she knows Emma might be dead.

Henry is the one with a connection to that land. Not her. She shouldn’t be jealous of him but she is. She wishes that she could be the one to wear the necklace, the one to control her dreams, because there is nothing she wouldn’t give to attempt to contact Emma.

She worries that she will never know if Henry managed to control the elements and safely navigate his dreams. The moment that Red was safe Charming snatched Henry back as though he feared that time with Regina may have damaged the boy. Henry didn’t protest. He didn’t even really say goodbye. She will not let this go without a fight, she is determined to be there for Henry in any way that she can, but tonight is not the time to battle Charming. He needs to feel that he has had his victory, that he is in control. Besides, she is exhausted and she wants a fair fight.

Lately she has welcomed sleep. It has not been the best sleep of her life. In fact she has woken feeling listless and drained and has had difficulty recalling her dreams but she has been fine with that because she was certain she was in contact with Emma. Now sleep holds no appeal. Surrendering to its embrace feels like a weakness but her heavy eyes and aching limbs let her know that there is no choice.

She’s sleeping now. Part of her realises that she shouldn’t know that but it seems like just another way that she is trying to trick herself into believing that her dreams are important. She has no connection to Fairytale Land. She is not surrounded by fire, she is literally nowhere. There is nothing but blackness and the feeling of being completing alone.

Wherever this is it feels endless, infinite, and it makes her feel cold inside. It makes her feel like she is dead. She hopes this is not what death is like. Death has to be better than this. She can not spend eternity floating in nothingness and being bombarded by her thoughts. She can’t be this alone. She has been alone most of her life. If nothing else she needs death to provide a release from that.

She doesn’t know how but she senses a change in the void. It is still black, there is not so much as a breeze, but somehow she feels someone else is there. She doesn’t have time contemplate what this means because suddenly everything changes and dark becomes dazzling light.

It should take time for her eyes to adjust but it seems that is not necessary in her dream. The light flashes and then everything is calm. She is surrounded by a red glow and she knows with certainty that she is no longer alone.

“You’re late,” Emma tells her.

If Regina didn’t know better this would be the sort of thing that would convince her that this was a real communication, “It’s a dream. There is no time here.”

“Well it like felt it was a long time,” Emma complains.

“I didn’t mean to keep you waiting,” she says with minimal conviction.

“There is no need to be sarcastic. I know you believe that you can’t be nice to me here but that doesn’t mean you need to be nasty.”

“We don’t have to worry about any of that anymore.”

“We don’t?” Emma’s brow furrows even deeper than usual.

“I was wrong. This is just a dream.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Yes, I know you did,” she allows herself to smile.

“I told you that you weren’t real.”

“Well neither are you.”

“This is my dream so I’m realer than you are.”

Emma’s words almost give her hope, almost. “I wish we were really together,” she says with a sigh.

“So do I but this feels real enough.”

“It’s not the same,” she says sadly, “but at least we are not in danger here.”

Emma eyes the red barrier with suspicion, “It still feels dangerous. When you disappear it seems to cause you pain.”

“It’s just a dream Emma.”

“So you no longer think your mother is watching us?”

“No,” she says and even though she knows the truth about her dreams she still doesn’t feel certain.

“Because you seemed pretty sure she was.”

“I know I did,” she says with frustration, “but I don’t know why I thought that.” She believed it at the time. She swears she felt a presence that could only be her mother but that can not have been the case because, as she points out to Emma, “My mother is dead.”

“If she is dead then so am I.”

“Don’t say that. Not ever,” she feels desperate for reassurance. She knows it’s a possibility but she doesn’t want to believe it’s true.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think I’m dead.”

She lets out a small laugh, “So why did you say that?”

“Because Cora is here.”

“I told you, there is no way that she can be.”

“Well maybe not here, here,” Emma’s eyes flick to the barrier again, “but I’ve met her. She pretended to be someone else, she made herself look like a man, and she killed a lot of people for no reason. She is trying to get to Storybrooke. She is trying to get to you.” 

She has to admit that that certainly sounds like her mother but she also has to admit that the Emma here is just a product of her mind and therefore can draw on Regina’s memoires of Cora. “Well she is not here now.”

“Are you sure?”

“No,” she admits. “I was positive this wasn’t real. I was sure we were safe. If you showed up in my dreams tonight I planned to make up for lost time by having my way with you over and over and over again.”

Emma’s face flushes and her eyes seem huge, “I’m not stopping you.”

“Except that you are. You are making me think it’s possible Cora could be watching me.”

“I’m an idiot.” Emma pushes her jacket off her shoulders and lets it drop to the ground. “You’ve never listened to me before.” Emma takes a step forward, her eyes smouldering. “Why would chose now to start?” The blonde reaches for the hem of her shirt and Regina realises it is clearly about to go the way of her jacket.

“Stop,” Regina cries and closes her eyes. “Cora is not something to be trifled with.”

“Are you are worried about being unable to perform in front of her?” Emma says with a smirk.

“As unbelievably creepy as that would be it’s not what I’m worried about right now.” The thought of having to perform in front of her mother does unsettle her though. It’s just the right kind of creepy for Cora. If she hadn’t have pushed her mother through that mirror she can imagine Cora wanting to appraise her and give her tips on how better to please the King.

“You’re still worried that knowing about us would put me at risk?”

“I really am. I just want to be safe.”

“I don’t care about safe. God, if safe was a priority I would hardly have picked you.”

“Try not to flatter me so much dear.”

“It’s not an insult Regina, it’s just a fact. If I wanted an easy option I wouldn’t have picked you.”

She drops her head. She doesn’t want to have to look at Emma, “I know I’m not easy to love.”

“It’s not that at all,” Emma closes the gap between them and grabs Regina’s hand and even though she knows she should, Regina doesn’t let go. “You are difficult to understand and you don’t accept love easily but loving you isn’t hard. It’s one of the easiest things I’ve ever done.”

She places her forehead against Emma’s, “I miss you so much.”

“I’m right here.” Emma captures her lips with a kiss.

“Emma….we…..can…..not…..do…..this,” she imagines that her words might be a little more convincing if she had not punctuated each one with a kiss.

“And yet it seems we are,” Emma cups Regina’s face and kisses her deeply.

She moans in response but the sound is drowned out by a load crack. They fly apart and Emma looks at the barrier in horror. It has changed. It is darker and it’s flashing and even though she knows it’s just a dream Regina is afraid.

“You need to come back to Storybrooke because I really don’t think we are safe here,” Regina tells her.

“I promise you I’m trying. I’m really, really….”

So doesn’t know what Emma was going to say because Emma is gone. She is alone in her bed sitting upright and covered in sweat. She hasn’t felt this bad since the dream where Emma ripped out her black heart but unlike that dream this one fades quickly. She tries to hold on to it because it feels important but it will not be caught, it will not be held. 

She is exhausted. Her fatigue is now worse than it was before she went to sleep. It is not the same as what is happening to Henry but there is definitely something wrong with her dreams. She feels her dreams are an omen of sorts. Something is coming for her. Something evil. She pulls her knees to her chest, hugs them tightly, and prays that she is wrong.


End file.
